Late post-operative serial coronariographic evaluation was performed in a series of 6 patients submitted to cardiac transplantation. They were part of a series of 16 patients operated on from June 1984 to December 1990. Their age were from 10 days to 54 years, 14 male and 2 female. The followup time was from 2 to 6 years. The cineangiograms were performed yearly for coronary pattern evolutive evaluation. The mean donor age was 18 ± 3 years. In 4 patientes it was possible to compare late results with the preoperative donor cinecoronaryangiogram. The comparative morphometric analysis, at serial examination did not reveal any proximal or distal coronary lesion in any patient. Left ventricular function was considered normal, but varied degrees of myocardial hypertrophy were present in all patients. In conclusion: 1) coronary artery disease, although frequent in transplanted hearts, was not present in this series; 2) early donor age could have been an important factor, as well as the immunossupressive regime emploied; 3) cinecoronary ventriculoangiogram is important for follow-up of transplanted patients, and could eventually orient for retransplantation.
heart transplantation